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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Yoder helps introduce the FASTR Act

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A bipartisan coalition of members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives today introduced the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research (FASTR) Act, a bill to improve public access to federally-funded research.

The FASTR Act’s introduction coincides with “Sunshine Week,” a movement to highlight the need for transparency and openness from the federal government.

“This bill takes meaningful steps to improve transparency and accountability in the federal government,” U.S. Rep. Yoder, R-Kan., said. “It will not only bring easier access to federally-funded research, but will also help ensure that our taxpayer dollars are getting their highest possible return on investment.”

The FASTR Act would:

Require each publicly-funded researcher to submit an electronic copy of the final text of peer-reviewed research and ensure that manuscript is available for free online access within six months.

Spur innovation and encourage job creation by allowing faster access to research that can help individuals and businesses turn ideas and concepts into goods and services.

Encourage private investment in information technology to capitalize on government research.

Ensure a higher return on taxpayer investment that could be worth around $1.6 billion.